Bouche de Bétizac is a French chestnut cultivar developed in 1962 by INRA at the station of Malemort-sur-Corrèze near
Brive
Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of oc, Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the agglomeration was 75 ...
. It is a controlled hybrid between
Castanea sativa and
Castanea crenata (female
Bouche rouge × male
Castanea crenata CA04). This variety produces large to very large chestnuts. It has very good flavor for a hybrid. With
Marigoule
Marigoule is the name of a french hybrid of chestnut (synonym M.15 or CA 15), cross between a European chestnut (Castanea sativa) and Japanese (Castanea crenata). In 1986, it originated from a Migoule orchard in Ussac in Corrèze. Marigoule (a cont ...
, it is the variety currently most cultivated in the French chestnut groves because it is very productive (3 tons per hectare on average). Its fruit is bright, light chestnut-brown quickly turning brown and dark brown.
Culture
The upright tree of moderate height can be planted tightly in chestnut groves (7 m x 7 m), with 200 productive trees per hectare. In addition, its productivity matures quickly. In
drip irrigated culture, in
Bordeaux, the cumulative production at the age of 5 to 7 years can be between 21 and 40 kg per tree.
"Bouche de Bétizac" is pollen sterile and is pollinated by many varieties such as
Belle Epine (chestnut),
Marron de Goujounac (chestnut),
Marron de Chevanceaux (chestnut) and to a lesser degree
Bournette (chestnut),
Precoce Migoule,
Maraval and
Marsol. This cultivar is not very susceptible to
chestnut blight
The pathogenic fungus ''Cryphonectria parasitica'' (formerly ''Endothia parasitica'') is a member of the Ascomycota (sac fungi). This necrotrophic fungus is native to East Asia and South East Asia and was introduced into Europe and North America ...
and
chestnut gall wasp
''Dryocosmus kuriphilus'' is a species of gall wasp known by the common names chestnut gall wasp, Oriental chestnut gall wasp, and Asian chestnut gall wasp. It is native to China and it is known in many other parts of the world, particularly the ...
. However, as an early budding variety it is sensitive to spring frosts. Bouche de Bétizac keeps its leaves into early autumn. The nuts are also hanging on the tree for a long time and vibrators are sometimes used to aid the harvest. In the southwest of France, it is found up to 400m elevation.
References
* "Châtaignes et marrons" - Henri BREISCH - éditeur CTIFL - 1995
* GIB
Morphologic Descriptors Italian/English, accessed 2017
* Sandra L. AnagnostakisThe Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Statio
CULTIVARS OF CHESTNUT accessed 2017
Chestnut cultivars
Edible nuts and seeds